Rail-joint.



WILLIAM STEPHEN CBOYCE, OF PITTSBURGH, PENNSYLVANIA, ASSIGNOR TO THE RAIL JOINT COMPANY, A CORPORATION OF NEW YORK RAIL-JOINT.

Specification of Letters Patent.

Application filed August 15, 1916. Serial No}15,056.

To all whom t may concern:

Be it known that I, WILLIAM S. Boron, a citizen of the United States, residing at Pittsburgh, in the county of Allegheny and State of Pennsylvania, have invented certain new and useful Improvements in Rail` A primary object of the invention is to' provide an improvement in the continuous type of joint bar, which will to a large degree, counteract a faulty-application of the bar through carelessness of the track-men. It is only through such faulty application that the continuous type of bar will not have a proper fit to the rail and not maintain its maximum supporting effect, and it is, therefore, the purpose of the presentinvention to obviate the undesirable conditions arising from the neglect of the track-menv to drive the bars in at the base so that the bearing faces of the bar will not coincide with the fishing space and the base of theV rail. This neglect on the part of the trackmen'usually results in cocked or canted bars as well as the reduction of the bearing of the bar on the rail, thus leaving opportunity for the development of play between the head of the rail and the bar, whichy allows the knitting of the rail ends, and` in some instances may possibly cause rail flange breakage. Furthermore, it has been found that owing to the slight variation in the size of rails, the joint bars often fit perfectly in the fishing space thereof while the base fit is loose, thus impairing the supporting effect of the base of thevbar.

Accordingly, the present yinvention contemplates a joint bar of such a character that regardless of carelessness in application, it will properly contact throughout its length with the underside of the rail head, the upper side of the base flange, and the bottom of the rail base. In this connection,

it may also be noted that a novel anddistinctive feature ofthe invention resides in joint bar having bearing faces,

providing'a be made at all times to effectuwhich may ally maintain a `maximum clamping efficiency.

With the which will more readily appear as the na- ,ture of the invention is better understood, the same consists in the novel construction, combination and arrangement of parts hereinafter more fully described, illustrated and claimed.

A preferred and practical embodiment of the invention is illustrated inthe accom'- panying drawings, in which- Figure 1 is an end View of the improved rail joint (with the rail in section) showingv 4 the initial relation ofthe joint bars to the rails, the bearing faces `of the bar being somewhat exaggerated to more clearly show the invention. t Fig. 2 is a bi-se'ctved 'cross-,sectionalfview showing the position of one ofthe joint bars after the same has becmemslightly 'worn and the bolts have been tightened to take upy the wear; lSimilar reference "characters" 'designate corresponding parts throughout the several` figures of the drawings. j

In carrying Vforward the invention the improvements herein specified and claimed are particularly applicable tothe 'continu- Ious type of rail joint bar, that is, a rail joint Abar which includesa rail supporting base Paten-eea apa-1*?, i917.

above and .other objects in View member engaging beneath :the rail base, as

well as an upright member fitting the fish-' ing space of the rail and having a bearing contact with the underside of the'rai'l head and with-the upper 'side of the rail flange.

The exact section or shape ofthis bar is not material to the present invention, nor the particular distribution of metal therein, but

the essential characteristics thereof are nec.-

essarily embodied in a bar of the continuous type, generally, upper head portion 2 for engaging beneath the rail head and against the rail web,a` 4foot flange 3 which overlies and Vcontacts" with the rail flanges, and an integralv inwardly extending base member @which underlies and engages thevv base of the rails.' v

formation the j resent joint bar,"

drawings that" j j the head portion 2 thereof is provided ywith l Referring to the `novel p rail bearing faces of' the p it will be observed from the atop supporting surface 5, which includes i that is to say, a bar which comprises, j an upright member l having an the perpendicular vertical aXis of the the primary and secondary rail bearing faces 6 and 7, arranged at different angles, the former having the same, angle or inclination' as that of the underside of the rail head, while the latter face is disposed at a lesser angle than the said primary face to aXis of the bar. In other words the primary bearing face 6 of the joint bar is arranged at the same angle toV of the joint bar .as the inof thc railhead is to the rail, while the secondary face .is arranged at a lesser angle to the vertical aXis of the bar and adjoins the said primary bearing face. The head portion the vertical aXis clined underside o'f the bar 2 further includes an inwardly projecting fulcrum rib 8, the surface of which'is rounded or curved -to provide a fulcruming abutment adapted to contact as tion or angle as 35 -piase flange of the rail has a t c ing face, while at a point at 10 with the rail web is applied to the rail.

when the joint bar Thus, it will be apparent that-the head portion 2 of the bar is so formed as initially to have a limited area of contact throughout the length vof the primary rail bearing face 6 with the underside of the rail head adjacent the outer side of the latter, and the projection 8 bearing against the web of the rail in such a way as to constitute a fulcrum point. j

. The underside of the foot flange 3 is also provided' with a rail contacting surface 1l which includes the inclined primary bearing face 12 arranged at the same inclinathat of the upper inclined face of the rail flange, and also the secondary bearing face 13 adjoining the primary'bear? ing face, which secondary face is arranged at a lesser angle than the latter to the perpendicular axis of the bar. This rail contacting surface 11, through the face 12, providesffa limited area of contact for the foot of the bar with the base flange of the rails, while the secondary bearing face opens into the groove in which the outer edge of'the relatively loose The supporting base 4 of the bar, which underlies the base flange of the rails, is preferably provided adjacent the edge thereof with a substantially horizontal rail bea-ring portion 14 constituting a primary bear- 15 the latter joins a secondary bearing face 16, disposed at an' angle to the primary bearingy face, which, as

shown, in the present instance is preferably horizontal.

From the foregoing, it will be apparent that the joint bar of the present invention is formed with a primary bearing face disposed at the same angle or inclination as `the complemental bearing face of the rail,

andiwith. an initially non-contacting secondary bearing face, This secondary bearing face on the head of the bar diverges inwardly with relation to the underside of the rail head, and the secondary faces on the foot and base sections of the bar bear an outwardly divergent relation respectively to the outer side ofthe base flange of the rail, and to the bottom of the rails. Accordingly, when -the joint bars are applied to the rails, 'as shown in the drawings, the same will initially contact with the rails along the primary rail bearing faces 6, 12 and 14, and also at the fulcrum point 10, while the secondary rail bearing faces 7, 13, and 16 provide a wear-,take-up clearance at the underside of the rail head, upper side of the base flange and at the underside or bottom of the rail bases. These clearances are respectively designated as a, b, and 0,. and only exist in the initial application of the joint bars to provide sufficient room for adjustment and enable the secondary rail contacting faces 13 and 16 to iiushly contact throughout their length with the complemental portions of the rails upon the tightening of the joint bolts after the joint bars wear, through the assistance of the fulcrum bead or rib 8.

Since the head of the bar engages both the head and the web of the rail continuously, and fulcrums against the ra-il web, the joint bolts will, under all conditions, eXert a ersisting turning force on the web of the bar to maintain the rail-supportingbasethereof in rigid contact with the rail. As the bearing faces of the bar wear this persisting clamping force of the joint bolts rocks the bar inwardly at the base thus bringing all ofthe secondary bearing faces into supporting engagement with the rail, and thereby maintain the proper supporting effect of the bar. That is to say, the clearance spaces a, b, and c disappear and the primary bearing faces also wear and merge into the secondary bearing faces.

Furthermore, the space of the groove G in the bar provides ample clearance for the adjustment of the bar in relation to the rail, and with the increased rail flange clearance, the bars may be folded tightly to provide a yielding or springy base to readily fit varying thicknesses of base flanges. That is to say, in providing the enlarged groove G, the base ofthe barmay be folded more tightly than usual, whereby, in the case of a thin based rail, the base of the bar would be drawn in slightly more than in the cas'e of a perfectly rolled rail, while 'on the thick based rail, the spring or yield in the base of the bars would be suicient to allow the bar to be drawn home, and at the same tinue afford a 'support at the base of the rai s.

A bar having the novel features described is automatically pulled in at the base by the tightening of the joint bolts and always maintains an efficient rail support.

Without further description, it is thought that thefmany features and advantages of to without departing from the spirit of the invention or scope of the appended claims.

l claim:

l. A rail joint including the rail, and a joint bar having a primary and a secondary rail bearingtace on each of its rail engaglng surfaces.

Q. A rail joint including the rail, and la joint bar having a head. toot and base member each of which is provided with a primary and secondary rail engaging tace.

, 3. A rail joint including the rail, and a' joint bar having a head, foot, and base mem-l ber each having a primary bearing face engagingthe rail in the initial application of the bar and a secondary rail bearing face initially out of contact-4 with the rail.

4f. A rail joint including the. rail and a joint bar having a primary and 'a secondary rail bearing face on each of its rail engaging surfaces. said primary bearing faces be ing disposed in the same plane as the faces of the rail with which they Contact-` and said secondary rail bearing faces being disposed at an angle thereto.

5. A rail joint including the rail and a joint bar having a plurality of rail engaging faces. said rail engaging faces having a limited contact with the rails in the initial application thereof.

6. rail joint including'in combination with the rails and joint bolts, a joint bar having a plurality of rail engaging surfaces, anda fulcrum element formed with the bar and contacting with the rail web, each rail engaging face having a limited area of contact with the rail in the initial application of the bar, and a larger area of contact with the rail when the initialpoints of contact wear down and the bar is rocked on the ulcrum element by the tightening of the bolts.

including the rail and a underside of the foot ilange, and at the upot the base member, said primary the head and footof the bar being angle as the corresponding contacting faces of the rails, and all ot' said secondary rail bearing faces being disposed at a lesser angle to the perpendicular axis of the bar than said primary faces.` v

S. A rail joint including the rail and a joint bar including a` top supporting surface having a primary and a secondary rail bearing tace, a foot flange having primary and secondary rail bearing `faces at its underside, a base member also having a primary per side faces at disposed atl the same and a secondary rail bearing face, and a fulcrum element located between the saidrail bearing faces at the top ot the bar head and underside ot the foot flange.

9. A rail joint including the rail anda joint bar having a base member and provided with a primary and a secondary rail bearing face at the head of the bar, underside of the foot ange and upper side of the base membergand a fulcrum rib formed on the head portion of the bar and adapted to contact with the rail web between the head and foot ange of the bar.

10. Arail joint including the rail and a joint bar having a base. member provided with primary and secondary vrail bearing faces, al top supporting surface having a primary bearing angle as the inclined underside ofthe rail head, and a secondary rail bearing face adjoining said primary face and disposed at a lesser angle to the perpendicular axis of the bar than said primary ace, and said head also having a ulcrum rib adjoining said secondary railbearing face and adapted to contact with the web of the rail, and primary and secondary rail bearing faces lalso located at the underside of the .toot flange.

ln testimony whereof I hereunto a my signature in the presence of two witnesses.

WLLIAB STEPHEN BUYCE. Witnessesz` y 1 E. Hmmm, Jr.,

E. Samoan.

face disposedvat the same 

